Our History

The History of St. Martin In the Fields

Our History

St. Martin's was organized in 1882. In 1883 on June 17th, the actual charter was laid during a meeting of several families of Lumberton held at the Junior Mechanics Hall where the decision to become incorporated was made and the name and location for the church were selected.

To the right of the present structure a wooden chapel was built which was used for services and meetings. Father Martin Aignor led worship and provided spiritual direction during this period.

Negotiations for the construction of the present church were begun in 1895. In 1896, Bishop John Scarborough laid the corner stone and construction began on the church.

The Structure

The church, a structure built of cut Trenton stone, a timber roof and plaster walls was built at a cost of $5,500 by J.S. Roger of Stanwich of New Jersey. The church was constructed with a bell tower rising from the west wall. The bell was forged by Menneely and Co. of West Troy, NY and it was donated to St. Martin's by Florence and William Mortem Bunting, Jr. Due to structural problems, the bell is now housed in front of the church.

A kitchen and a one room Parish Hall were added in 1952 and dedicated to the glory of God and in loving memory of Howard Greenwald. In 1992 an extension to the parish hall was completed, providing additional space for the church School and offices. The addition is named in honor of the Rt. Rev. Vincent Pettit, Suffragan Bishop of New Jersey.

A Memorial Garden was established in 1995 for the interment of Ashes of Parishioners and their Animal Companions.

Our Property

In 1997 two and one half acres adjoining the church property were purchased. The following years saw the paving of the parking lot and installation of a chair lift to provide handicap access to the church from the parish hall. During the year 2000 a children's garden area and tree house were constructed. Having been a Mission church for more than a century, St. martin's was welcomed into the Diocese of New Jersey as a parish on March 9, 2001. A gift of two acres some distance from the church were dedicated as a "green space" for local wild life. In January of 2002 a labyrinth walkway was dedicated and in 2003 an outdoor pathway and stations of the cross were constructed. The Parish Hall, office, nursery, kitchen, and portions of the rectory were damaged during the flood of 2004. Services were resumed on the fifth Sunday following the flood and full use of the other damaged areas was Celebrated on September 12, 2004 with Bishop Pettit re-consecrating the space on November 20, 2005.

The Dynamics

As of 2005, St. Martin's average Sunday attendance was 115 and the church is currently classified by the Diocese as a Level II congregation. In terms of inner-dynamics, St. Martin's is considered a "family size" congregation.

The church benefits from the proceeds from two trust funds, the Conroe Trust and the Rudolph Trust. The Conroe Trust, established over 20 years ago, provides a set amount of $400 to St. Martin's annually, with no restriction on the use of the money. Others benefit from the proceeds of the trust as well. the Trustee is PNC Bank. PNC is also the Trustee of the Rudolph Trust, established in 1998, as a trust in perpetuity to benefit St. Martin-In-the-Fields exclusively, with no restriction on the use of the money. In 2005, St. Martin's received $32,166 from this trust.